Chapter 35
"Ken." Jun's voice came through his bracelet.
"Yes Jun." He responded- glad to hear her finally checking in.
"I just received a birdscramble it has to Dr Nambu…" Her voice held contained excitement at the break though after hours of searching.
"Good work Jun, let's stay close together in case we need to form up the Gatchasparten." Ken commanded turning his fighter jet around and rejoined his team.
* * * *
Dr Nambu didn't know how long he had remained unconscious for. The harsh yanking on his arms and grunts of goons brought him out of it. He felt like someone has hit him with a sledge hanger all over his body. Each tug on his arms felt like fire raging through his joints. He blinked back the tears of pain- he needed to keep his thoughts clear and his mind sharp.
"Good of you to join me Dr Nambu." Count Egobossler's politeness and warm smile grated in his nerves, choosing to hide his real emotions Dr Nambu gathered his remaining strength to sit in the waiting chair at the table before him. The man was up to something devious Dr Nambu thought.
Dr Nambu waited patiently while Count Egobossler poured him a glass of red wine…now the game begins Dr Nambu thought. He had to outwit the man from whatever he had planned.
"Sire…" A goon interrupted there silent mind game, Egobossler rose from his chair
Secretly he held something else he had stashed into his pocket and quickly dropped the fine white powder into Count Egobossler's wine glass.
A few seconds later Count Egobossler returned to his seat and picked up his glass, his smile became like a cat satisfied with its latest catch.
"Shall I propose a toast?" He said his Cheshire cat grin broadened.
"Why not…" Dr Nambu lifted his glass.
"To the down fall of you…Dr Nambu…" His tone reflected the underlying hatred he had for the man sitting opposite him.
"We'll see…I'm not done yet." Dr Nambu's said smoothly clinking his fine glass with his enemy and he pretended to sip from it…
He watched as Egobossler's eyes widened in surprise at the sensations he began to feel the effects from the truth serum Dr Nambu had just given him.
"Now tell me Egobossler what are you up to?" Dr Nambu asked leaning in closer.
He knew there had to something bigger than Galactor just wanting to take over the Earth. From the reports he had from missions they bases all looked the same in every way and then there was the recent attacks from sun rays killing thousands of innocent people, what he needed to know was why and what the bigger picture of his plans.
"You heard me Count Egobossler, what is Galactor's big plan…" To his amazement Count Egobossler caved in without much of a fight.
"The poison apple…It's floating in space…we intend to force you to surrender…" He said falling from his chair his eyes became unfocused as he held his head in hands to try fight the effects of the truth serum.
This news weighed heavily on Dr Nambu's mind. His one priority had always been to save the Earth from disaster. How could he go after one child when millions of lives were at stake…he had to choose and it tore at him knowing the choice he had just been forced into making? Do the needs of the one out weigh the needs of the many…or is it the other way around…in this I have to decide which is more important…where the sacrifices have to be made…He thought about the age old wisdom of making choices in leadership. A debate he had often with his father when he was a boy.
The sound of approaching footsteps forced him to act fast and he pushed over a cabinet to block off the doorway from the approaching goons. He needed more time to discover the Sosai Z's full plan.
"Keep talking…" Dr Nambu demanded abruptly turning to face the struggling dictator.
"It's the end of the ISO…once it is in place it will give me unlimited power to force the world leaders into submission… Sosai Z my leader will be in full control of it from space…He has an asteroid under his control and it's coming our way…" He said glaring at Dr Nambu the serum began to wear off and he could see the dictator gain more control over his tongue.
"You're too late to stop us Dr Nambu…" He sneered confidently from across the room.
Dr Nambu didn't respond to him instead he focused on the goon running towards with his gun drawn. Swiftly he took him down with a few simple fighting moves grabbing the gun he moved into a strategic position behind a wall close by, keeping an eye on Egobossler he surveyed the area to find another way to escape from the base that had begun to move…
We're moving…? He mulled, he had to be still on the mecha then, not in a base. That revelation didn't change the dynamics of his current situation but it did mean Gatchaman would have a harder time tracking him if they were mobile.
Make a productive decision he began to move out of his safe haven towards another exist only have Mekandor push open the door blocking him off, slowly he turned to see Count Egobossler standing behind him holding a gun pointed directly at his heart. The menacing look in his cold grey eyes cornered him like a cat that had just caught the canary.
* * * *
"Ken…it's the mecha that Kamo described to us…" Jun's alarmed voice came through his bracelet.
"I see it Jun…" Ken replied looking through his tinted visor at the enormous creature looming before them sending shivers down his spine. He reasoned within himself that logically he should be used to sight of a mecha by now, he didn't understand the instant reactions to the sight of one after all of this time.
Forming the Gatchasparten Ken didn't even make it to the bridge- instead he stepped out of the cockpit into his fighter's stance on the top of the massive ship. Drawing his hypershoot weapon he prepared to take down the beast challenging them to a fight. Decisively he planned his attack, since Dr Nambu life was held in their hands he decided to maim the metallic creature to bring it to the ground so they could board it over ripping it to pieces like he usually did.
Slicing through its underbelly he then order Ryu to move out of the way as the beast began its decent to the barren ground below…
"All of you get up here! It's time to go and rescue DR Nambu." He said with some enthusiasm. It had been easy to down the beast and in protecting Dr Nambu they had never failed him and Ken wasn't about to begin now…
Joining him in less than a minute Joe his second in command stood close to him and said." It's about time Ken, all of this waiting around….was driving me nuts!' He confessed.
Ken smirked at Joe's eagerness for a fight for a split second he felt they had been transported back to early days when they were younger and full of light hearted enthusiasm. "You got it Joe, let's go…"
Without another word the five members of the Science Ninja Team flew off the top of the ship in a graceful arc landing in the section Ken had sliced open only moments before to create their grand entrance that gave surviving goons nightmares for years afterwards.
The fight began in their normal aggressive manner when entering a base. Ryu sat on a few Joe had beaten to pulp in seconds and then he proceeded to use his body weight to bring down more of them. Ken momentarily admired the Owl and his unique way of fighting. The man might have been big, but he was solid and all muscle and despite his gentle outward nature he could transform into a deadly weapon not to be reasoned with by his enemies.
From the corner of his eye he watched Jun and Jinpei fighting together to clear a path down the long corridor. A break though came about from their efforts and Ken ran ahead of them down the corridor.
Seeing Dr Nambu made him pick his pace...the momentum causing him fall to the ground when hit the glass shield that came down seconds before he could get any closer to his mentor. Dr Nambu stood only metres away from him, yet he could have been on the other side of the mecha because of the glass shield before him and his world as he had known it to smithereens.
"Ken they've boxed us in!" Jun cried. Automatically the five of them formed a defensive circle and drew out their guns ready for anything Count Egobossler had in mind.
"You know you can't keep us in here Count Egobossler…" Ken shouted hoping he'd hear him through the thickness of the clear shield.
"I've been waiting for just this moment Gatchaman…" Count Egobossler's scornful cold eyes pierced him like a knife and his voice echoed in the small prison he had set up just for them.
Clenching his fist tightly before him Ken didn't try to hide his frustration.
"We have to find a way out of here into that chamber…there's gotta be Ken." Joe's level tone sent his thoughts into a whirlwind. Joe's right he thought. There has to be a way out of this…we've never failed him before and we're not gonna start now…I know I'll use the hypershoot sword. Ken knew it could pose a danger to his team mates using it this close to them but he felt he no choice in it.
"Ken…" Jun's horrified whisper made him look back Count Egobossler and it all began to unfold before his eyes in slow motion. Count Egobossler held his gun level at Dr Nambu's chest and in a quick point blank motion be fired his gun several times making Dr Nambu's body shudder and fall limply to the ground.
"Noooo…" Ken heard the agony in his own voice and echoed in his team mates around him. Drawing the hypershoot sword he held it level with the thick glass shield and cut through it like a diamond tipped saw causing it to shatter into a million pieces from the sudden changes in temperature. Throwing his arm over his eyes to shield them from the blast from the corner of his eye he could see Joe covering Jun and Jinpei with his wings and Ryu on the floor for protection.
Ken ran over to Dr Nambu, sinking the laser sword into the metal ground close by he knelt down beside him and gently folded his hand in his for reassurance he had made it to his side.
Dr Nambu turned his fading eyes onto him- Ken watched his struggle as a tried to lift himself up. Ken cradled him his arms and tried to listen to his last words carefully.
"Asteroid…heading to Earth…" He mumbled and then coughed.
"Save your strength doctor…we'll get you back to Kamo and the medical team-"Ken tried to cling to some hope he would survive.
"Listen Ken…not much time…get…to…Kamo…find…poison…apple…" Dr Nambu struggled and his body began to go limp in Ken's arms. Dr Nambu closed his eye and drew in a jagged last breath and Ken had to strain hard to hear his words. "Almeron…Dyami…" Life left his body and his lifeless hand slipped from Ken's grasp…
Slowly Ken let his mentor, friend and foster father's body sink to the ground, he would have time later to digest and think about the good doctor's last words, now he had a mission to complete. With murderous eyes he looked up at Count Egobossler and retrieved his sword.
Snarling at his enemy Ken's raging anger knew no bounds. Ignoring the plea's of his team mates Ken rushed forward and clashed swords with Count Egobossler.
The frenzied battle continued with Ken almost getting the upper hand when he managed to lightly slice his blade across Egobossler's scar on his cheek and it began to ooze bright red blood. Egobossler flared his white teeth and renewed his grip on his sword Egobossler looked fearful for the first time during the battle when he realized his opponents strength, to counter his fear he tried to mock him. Ken didn't respond to his bait, even in rage Ken could keep his wits about him and plan a battle strategy. The battle between them continued...Eventually Count Egobossler began to be beaten down by Ken's wild rampage, the Count fought back with everything he had but it became obvious who was the better fighter Ken the Eagle had only a few swift moves to make and would Count Egobossler begging for mercy.
Then the pain of his illness hit him hard causing Ken to double over and drop to the ground. Seeing his weakness the sinister Egobossler laughed loudly and began to taunt him before he ran to escape his reach, looking over his shoulder with contempt for Gatchaman looked proud of his 'victory' over Gatchaman.
"Is that all you can manage? Lame at best…it's a wonder you've survived this long." He scoffed. "Another time Gatchaman…I'll make it a quick death I promise you." He said jumping into the waiting escape pod made of a single platform with a clear glass dome closing around them.
Ken felt like he had the wind kicked out of him, his strength gave way to weight of the loss he felt when glanced back over his shoulder at Dr Nambu. He'd failed him…and Ken's failure cost him his life. Closing his eyes for a single moment Ken felt he had already failed Dyami, the chances of finding him alive had been fading everyday he remained missing Ken released his anguish with an almighty scream.
"Ken, get up…we have to get out of this place, knowing Egobossler he has a bomb on board." Joe's level tone cut into his thoughts.
Silently Ken came to his feet and he looked into Jun anguished eyes, he silently acknowledged her pain and looked over at Ryu tears streaming down his face and Jinpei collapsed on the ground from weight of his emotions sat close by Dr Nambu waiting for Ken's order.
"Let's take him home team." He solemnly ordered. Ryu, Joe and Ken picked up his body and carried it between them back to the Gatchasparten.
Jun cried uncontrollably when they reached the ship and Jinpei wrapped his thin arms around her, Joe held in his grief, holding back a single tear that threatened to undo him. Ryu set the ship in motion for take off. All of this was lost on Ken caught up in his own sorrow he sought the solitude of the open air. The cold wind ran past him chilling him to the bone. Slowly he looked out across the sky at the pale orange sunset to see Dr Nambu's spirit saying his final farewell to him.
"Goodbye…" Ken breathed softly. And his mentor's image faded into with the setting sun forever.